I Love: These Voices

In a recently Film Weekly podcast interview with Mark Strong, I was struck by just how beautiful this actors voice was. We've seen him a lot recently, often as the bad guys (Robin Hood (2010), Kick-Ass, Sherlock Holmes) which he does so well, but hearing the interview it was just so nice to hear him talk and we get to hear that lovely voice (and even a few beautifully spoken works in French), which got me to think about voices and how some actors you are just drawn to their voice and would happily hear them recite the phone book. Here are a few more of my favourites.

Vanessa Redgrave. Oddly, I remember her voice most specifically from Deep Impact. She has a scene with Téa Leoni where she's literally just describing something, and I could watch it over and over again to listen to her. It's unbelievable, and I would say my favourite part of that film. She's also absolutely lovely in Letters to Juliet and in the musical Camelot.

Stephen McHattie. I think anyone who has seen Pontypool will agree with me on this one, where he plays radio DJ Grant Mazzy and speaks the majority of the dialogue of the film. A joy to listen to. He's also great in The Rocket / Maurice Richard, a performance that won him a Genie for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

Tom Hardy. I was reminded by how much I loved Tom Hardy voice as I recent watched RocknRolla for the first time and every time he said something I felt my ears hone in on each word he said. I think it might be a combination of the accent and how his voice resonates, but I couldn't tear my ears away and wouldn't want to. Last year release of Bronson we get to hear him a lot as he's in the title role and in some ways feels like a one-man show and if you turn back the clock a bit you can also see him as Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek: Nemesis.

Those are just a few of my favourite voices. Whose voices do you love?